Mongolia's isolated location, as well as its large, sparsely populated countryside, mean that both getting to and from the country, as well as getting around, will be an issue of relative importance. Air and rail are the two main ways people travel to the country, and both offer various positives and negatives. There are a few transport options for getting around within the major towns, but once outside the options are much more limited.

Many people take organised tours to get around once they are in the country, and this is often the easiest and cheapest way to travel!

This Mongolia Transportation Guide gives information about both getting to and from Mongolia, as well as getting around once you are there. As tours are the most common ways of getting around the countryside, you should also take a look at our Mongolia Tours page, which offers a number of tour companies that you may wish to contact. To book accommodation, go to our Mongolia Hotels page.

Mongolia Transportation Guide

Getting To & From Mongolia

Air

The main airline serving Mongolia is MIAT (Mongolian International Air Transport: www.miat.com), the national carrier of the country. It operates flights to Ulaanbaatar from cities such as Beijing, Berlin, Moscow and Seoul, Tokyo as well as summer flights from Hong Kong, Osaka and other city.

Aeroflot, Air China, Korean Air, and Aero Mongolia also serve Mongolia from various cities.

Ulaanbaatar Airport (ULN) (Chinggis Khaan) is located about 15 kilometres outside the city. Transport options include buses to the city centre, which take about 30 minutes, or taxis, which take about 15 minutes.

Facilities at the airport include duty free shops, a bank, car hire offices, a post office and a restaurant.

Chinggis Khaan International Airport is located 25 km from centre of Ulaanbaatar, Khan-uul district. Chinggis Khaan flight information telephone 198.

Rail

The Trans-Mongolian Railway links Ulaanbaatar to China and Russia. There is an express train that runs weekly between Moscow, Ulaanbataar and Beijing. The international trains offer sleeping and restaurant cars. Other weekly trains also operate between Ulaanbaatar and Moscow, as well as between Ulaanbaatar and Beijing.

Road

Travelling by road is not a very common way to get to and from Mongolia due to its isolated location. Prior permission from the Mongolian authorities to enter Mongolia by road is normally required. The main route to Ulaanbataar is via Irkutsk, in East Siberia.

Getting Around Mongolia

Air

MIAT and Aero Mongolia also operates domestic flights. Due to the poor quality of many of the roads outside the larger towns, and the large distances and general remoteness of some areas of Mongolia, air transport can be the best option. MIAT doesn't have the greatest safety record, although this has improved somewhat in recent years.

Rail

The main line through Mongolia is one that runs from north to south, passing through Sukhbaatar-Darkhan-Ulaanbaatar-Sainshand and Ulaanbaatar-Darkhan-Erdenet. There are also various branch lines that service the main industrial areas.

Road

The road network in Mongolia covers about 49,000 kilometres, and connects Mongolia's cities, towns and villages. Of these, only about 1,700 kilometres are paved, with the rest either gravel or dirt, bumpy roads.

The paved roads are generally found around the major cities and urban areas. Car rental is not possible without a driver, due to the poor state of many of the roads.

Urban Transportation

Throughout the cities there are frequent bus and trolleybus services. Mini-buses are also quite popular, especially around Ulanbaatar.

Taxis are another option of getting around the capital.